Excel is a serious business tool.
However, it is also a programming tool, which means that you can program
anything you like. Even games. The advantage to a game written
in Excel is that you can play it at work, and should the boss walk by, it
still looks like you're doing real work!

X-Ray!
Added 30-June-2000.
Here is a game I wrote several months ago, because I got bored one
day. It is called X-Ray, and is similar to the standard MS Minesweeper
game, but with a twist. You find the targets by firing shots into the target
region, and figure out the location of the targets by watching whether the
shots make hits, exit out to some other cell, or are reflected back to the
original cell. Complete instructions are
included in the workbook. All of the VBA code is unprotected, so you
are free to see how it works.

I have two versions of this game. One has an 8 by 8 cell target area,
and allows you to hunt for between 4 and 7 targets. The second,
X-Ray2, has a 16 by 16 cell target area, and lets you hunt for between 4 and
12 targets. X-Ray2 is considerably more challenging. Both
versions are in the zip file. Note: Both games require
either Excel97 or Excel2000. Neither will work in previous versions of
Excel.

David Hager has contributed two Excel games to the web
site. David is a Microsoft MVP and a frequent and long-time
contributor to the Excel newsgroups. He also publishes the
Excel Experts E-Letter (EEE), a monthly newsletter full of superb tips,
tricks, hints, and information about Excel. Geared more toward the
intermediate and advanced level Excel user, the EEE is a great source of
information for Excel "power users". And it's free! For information
about subscribing to the EEE, send David an email at dchager@compuserve.com . You can find
back issues of the EEE on John Walkenbach's web site at http://www.j-walk.com/ss/excel/eee/index.htm.

Mine3D is a 3-D game very similar to the
Minesweeper® game that comes with Windows. But instead of a mine
"field", you have to search through a mine
"space".

xlCube is harder to describe. You search
through a 3D cube, searching for smaller cubes located within. Not
only is it a pleasant diversion, it is a great way to teach your kids
about the basics of solid geometry.

Both these games, in addition to being entertaining,
are excellent examples of some sophisticated Excel and VBA
programming. So download them for their educational value.